Bodmin runs first-ever preserved clay hood train
THE award-winning Bodmin & Wenford Railway has made history by running the first rake of china clay‘hoods’in the heritage era.
The three-wagon clay train made its public debut on May 17 during a freight driver experience course.
Headed by GWR 0-6-0PT No. 4612, fresh out of the Bodmin General workshops after being retubed, it made two trips from General to Bodmin Parkway and one to Boscarne Junction.
The clay train fitted in around the service trains, which were hauled by Class 47 No. 47306.
Clay trains are an integral part of the history of the line. The Bodmin & Wadebridge Railway opened on September 30, 1839, linking the towns to the quarries at Wenfordbridge.
Passenger services between Bodmin General, Wadebridge and Padstow ceased on January 30, 1967, while freight services were withdrawn from Bodmin General on May 1, 1967 and the signalbox closed later that year. China clay traffic to Wenford Dries continued until 1978. The line, including the Wenfordbridge branch, was officially closed on October 3, 1983.
A railway spokesman said: “It was a great day for project leader Bryan Gray and his team, who have worked so hard to achieve this classic Cornish scene.”
As reported in issue 270, Bryan and his son Evan drew up the scheme to restore the clay hoods based on the heritage line to create a rake similar to the Great Central Railway’s fabled ‘windcutter’ rake of 16-ton mineral wagons, not only for enthusiasts but also for general public visitors.
The clay hoods that transported china clay to Fowey harbour were the last generation of a wagon design that had changed little since the late 19th century. The four-wheeled wooden-bodied wagons with open tops allow the loading from above and side and/or end doors for discharge.
Originally the wagons were covered with sheets when loaded to keep the clay dry, but the sheets were easily torn, sometimes stuck to the load, and tended to gather water in the corners.
BR modified the wagons in the early 1970s with a raised ridge bar, over which tough plastic sheeting was draped to keep it well clear of the load. This modification gave the wagons the tent-like appearance that earned them the nickname of clay hoods.
Nearly 500 wagons remained in service in the mid-1980s, working to Fowey from about a dozen clay dries in Cornwall and Devon, including Wenford.
The three wagons, the first in a planned rake of nine, are Nos. B743795, B743353 and B743171, with the bodywork repainted and the distinctive blue hoods fitted, returning them to 1970s condition. Six more of the BR-built 13-ton vehicles, including four derelict examples acquired from the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway in 2019 and 2020, now await full restoration.